SportsCage and TSN analyst Glen Suitor appreciates Saskatchewan Roughriders' quarterback Trevor Harris' grit playing through a partially torn ACL in 2024.
"Trevor gutted it out. He's a great pocket passer. One of the guys that have seen every defence available, so he can recognize and get it out of his hands quickly," Suitor said to the SportsCage.
"That's one of his strong points, so he gutted it out and played. Sometimes, you're sworn to secrecy because they don't want anybody or the opponent to know."
Suitor understands the mental toll for football players such as Harris and others in similar situations taking the field with injuries.
"I can numb the pain, pharmaceutically. I can do what I have to do to get myself on the field, but am I going to be able to play at the level that I need to play at to keep this team in the win column? If not, then I'm hurting the team. I don't want to be a bad teammate," Suitor explained.
"That's the struggle players have when they're hurt and trying to decide whether they can play or not."
Last year, Harris missed six games after he sustained a knee injury against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 23. During that stretch, the Green and White went 2-3-1 with backup Shea Patterson as the starting QB. Harris suited up for 12 games, 11 starts, throwing for 3,264 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Alongside seven teammates, Harris earned a West Division all-star selection.
"I actually partially tore my ACL during the year and had a big chunk of my MCL torn," Harris told 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk.
"Played the rest of the year with it and we took care of it this offseason with some PRP shots and whatnot. It was early on this offseason that I started feeling like myself, so I'm excited to be able to head into a season fully healthy."
The Riders continue open free agent tryouts on April 12 in Dallas and April 13 in Houston. Suitor knows the importance of those events and the notable CFL talent that can come from them.
"I know there have been some great stories, Derel Walker was a rookie of the year in Edmonton coming out of one of these," Suitor recalled. "Sam Eguavoen was another one, I believe that was a great story. He ended up playing for Saskatchewan, then went down and is in the NFL."
Suitor did not hesitate to name Cameron Wake as his favourite CFL open tryout player. Wake went to the wrong building for the open tryout and B.C. Lions' player personnel director Bob O'Billovich, admiring Wake's hunger, offered him a shot to attend training camp.
"He comes up, he makes it, he's the rookie of the year, and then two years later plays out his contract," Suitor said. "I absolutely love and respect Cameron Wake playing out his B.C. Lion contract, then going down and becoming a Pro Bowler down in the NFL."
